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John Conroy, 31

Principal, South Real Estate Group

If he hadn’t grown up in Naples under a heavy family influence of the real estate industry, John Conroy might be singing a different tune today.

Literally.

In Nashville.

Conroy, 31, is principal of Southeast Real Estate Group of Naples, where he leverages his experience as well as established family connections in his boutique, tenant-driven real estate development company that focuses on small to medium build-to-suit projects.

Between earning his graduate degree at Arizona State University in Scottsdale, Ariz., and his return to Naples, Conroy lived in Nashville, trying to make it as a singer-songwriter. He says he didn’t record anything people would recognize because, “If I had, I’d still be doing it.”

“I had an opportunity to write for publishing companies like Sony and Warner Brothers and Universal, and it was a great four years there,” he says. “I still have great relationships with people there, but my wife and I had our first child and I decided it wanted it to be a little more realistic.”

Moving back to Naples in 2015 and founding his business, he now leverages relationships he’s built with companies such as Starbucks and Herc Rentals, building out multiple Starbucks locations in Southwest Florida and Herc Rentals locations nationwide.

The company consummated its first full-cycle investment in March 2017, delivered its first ground-up, build-to-suit project in March of this year — a Herc Rentals location in Fort Worth, Texas — and currently has underway nearly $30 million in active development projects.

Nashville and music, though, are never far from his mind.

“I joke with my wife that when I retire, we're going to get a place in, if not move back to, Nashville,” says Conroy. “It’s a big passion of mine.”

Survey Says

Name: John Conroy

Age: 31

City of residence: Naples

Employer: South Real Estate Group

Title: Principal

Birthplace: Jacksonville

Years on the Gulf Coast: 21 total

Marital status/children: Married with three children

Alma mater/degree: University of Notre Dame, bachelor’s in accountancy; Arizona State University, master’s in finance

Best place to network: Golf course

Messy desk or clean workspace: Both. Definitely prefer a clean workspace but always end up by the end of the day with a messy one